Time and cost calculator



July 8 1924.

H. SALDINGER TIME AND COST CALCULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1922 July 8 1924.

Filed Aug. 9. 1922 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Patented July 8, 1924.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'HARRY SALDINGER, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIME AND COST CALCULATOR.

Continuation of application Serial No. 405,149, filed August 21, 1920. This application filed August 9.

To all whom it may concem: 7

Beit known that I, HARRY SALDINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Time and Cost Calculators, of which the following is a specification,

This invention has for its object to provide for use in machine shops-and other establishments, a machine adapted to register the time elapsin between the commencement and comp etion of a job, and the cost of the job according. to the price per hour paid to the Workman.

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificat-ion,-

Figure 1 is a plan View of a machine emboding the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 22 of Figure 1, showing one of the compensating mechanisms hereinafter described.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 2. 1 Figure l is a view showing in perspective the elements of the registering mechanism, the frame and other parts shown byFigure 1,,being omitted.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion of the elapsed time tablet.

Figurefi is a plan view of a portion of the price-indicating ribbon.

Figure Tis a plan View of a portion of the time-indicating ribbon.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing another compensating mechanism. The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures. The frame 12 of the machine may be of any suitable form and construction, adapted to support the elements of the hereinafter describedregistering means in position for convenient observation.

13 represents a longitudinally movable time-indicating ribbon on the frame, provided with a longitudinal column 14 of starting-time numbers, and with a longitudinal column 15, of finishing-time num bers, said columns being identical with each other, as indicated by Figure 5, the numbers 2.00, 1.00 and 6.30 being understood Serial No. 580,644.

to represent two oclock, four oclock, and half-past six oclock, respectively. A portion of the time ribbon is supported and guided in the form of a flat acting stretch, which occupies apredetermined position. The ribbon is longitudinally movable .to bring different portions thereof into the acting stretch.

Covering a portion of the acting stretch of the ribbon 13 is a fixed screen 16, having a sight-opening 17, adapted to expose the starting-time numbers in the column 14 one at a time, the screen being suitably attached to the frame in close proximity to the upper side of the ribbon 13, as by screws 16, and offset from the column 15 to expose the numbers thereof; 18 represents an adjustable screen, which is an elongated ribbon, having a sight-opening 19, throu h which the finishing-time numbers of t e column 15 are singly visible, said sightopening being elongated, so that a number on the elapsed time-indicating tablet, and on the price-indicating ribbon, hereinafter described, are visible through said sightopening. A portion of the screen ribbon 18 is supported and guided in the form of a flat acting stretch which occupies a predetermined position with relation to the acting stretch of the time ribbon.

The ends of the time ribbon 13 are attached to spools 20, and 20 which are rotatable by suitable mechanism, here shown as including a bevel gear 21, fixed to the shaft of the spool 20, and a bevel gear 22 fixed to a shaft 23, journaled in a fixed bearing on the frame and provided with an operating crank 24.

When the spool20 is rotated to wind the time ribbon upon it, the ribbon is moved longitudinally in one direction. To compensate for the diametrical variations in the spools caused by the unwinding of the ribbon on one, and the accumulation of the ribbon on the other, I provide compensating 'mechanism including a pinion or small gear .200, fixed to the shaft of the spool 20, said shaft being journaled in fixed bearings, one of which is shown at 202, a

larger gear 203, rotatable on a fixed stud 204, supported by said bearing, and coiled spring 205, one end of which is fixed at 206 to the gear 203, the other end being fixed at 207 to the stud. The arrangement is such that when the spool 20 is rotated by the unwinding of the ribbon therefrom, the spring permits a varying rate of rotation of the spool, so that the ribbonis given off as fast as it is accumulated on the spool, The tension of the spring is at all times suflicient to cause it to wind the ribbon on the spool 20, when the spool 20 is rotated backward to unwind the ribbon therefrom.

The ends of the adjustable screen ribbon 18 are fixed to two spools 25, journaled in suitable fixed bearings. One of thebearings 250, ofeach spool being shown by Figure 1. Each spool is provided with a compeir 3;.- sating mechanism similar to that above described in connection with the spool 20, and including, as best shown by Figure 8,'a small gear 251, on the spool shaft, ala'rger gear 252 on a fixed stud 253, and. a spring 254 connecting the larger gear with the stud.

The screen ribbon 18 is provided with a knob or handle 255, whereby it may be manually moved endwise in either direction. When the ribbon is thus moved, one of the spools 25 is caused by the spring 254 assotherewith, is an elongated elapsedtime-indi cating tablet 32, secured to the frame by any suitable means, such as screws 33, and extending parallel with the actingstretch of the time ribbon. Thev tablet 32 is provided,

' as shown by Figure 5, with a column34 of eleqpsed time-indicating numbers, which may in icate periods of time from fifteen minutes to ten hours, these numbers being singly visible through the sight opening 19'.

35 represents a movable. price-indicating ribbon, which is movable ina path at right angles to the paths of the ribbon 13, and adjustable screen 18, as indicated by the arrow a. The ribbon 18 is provided, as shown by Figure 4, with a longitudinal 001111111136 of the time-unit-priceindicating numbers of different denominations, indicating the prices per hour paid to different workmen.

The ribbon 35 is also provided with a plurality of transverse columns, 37 of aggregate numbers, related as described later to the numbers in the longitudinal column 36.

A portion of the price ribbon 35 is supported and guided in the form of a flat acting stretch, having a predetermined position with relation to the acting stretches of the time ribbon, the adjustable screen, and the tablet 32. A portion of the acting stretch of the ribbon 35 is'located below aportion of the acting stretch of the adjustable screen 18, and one of the numbers of any transverse column 37 may be brought into registry with the elongated sight-opening 19 of the screen.

38 represents a fixed price-indicating screen, located over the acting stretch of the price ribbon and having a sight-opening 39, through which the numbers of the longitudinal column 36 are singly visible." The screen 38 may beattached'to the'frame by any suitable means, such as screws 38. The ends of the price-indicating ribbon 35 are attached to spools 40 and 40*, the axes of whichare at right angles with those of the spools 20 and'25. WVith the-spoolf40is associated a compensating mechanism which is 21 duplicate of that associated with the spool 20,and above described, said mechanism including a small gear 400(Figure fiXed to the shaft of the spool 40, a larger gear 401, journaled on 'a fixed stud 402, a spring 403, connecting the stud" with the larger gear. 'The spool f40 'is manually 'ro tated by means including a small gear 404, fixed to'its shaft, and a crankshaft"405, hav; ing a larger gear 406, meshing with "the smaller'ge'ar. When the spool'40i is rotated to take up the ribbon 35, a varying rotation of the spool 40 is pern'iittedf by the spring 403, said spring acting to wind the ribbon on the spool40, whenthe spool 40? is rotated backward' V 'The acting stretches of the ribbon13, adjustable screen 18, and ribbon are guided and supported in a flat form byv suitable guides, conventionally shown at Figure 2, there being two guides 45 for each acting stretch. J

Operation.

At the commencement of the job, the workman adjusts the ribbon 13, so that the starting-time number is'visible through the sight-opening 17. As shown by the drawings, four oclock is indicatedat the s ightopening.

Wh n the jo s ed e Wo k an adjusts the screen118 so that the finishingtime number on the ribbon 13 is visible through the sightfopening 19, this nuinber being here shown as indicatinghalf past six oclock. The price-indicating ribbon35 has been previously adjusted to bring a number of the longitudinal column '36 into registry with the sight-opening 39 of the fixed'screen 38, saidnumber, as shown in the drawings, indicating ten cents as the price per hour. It will be seen, therefore, that the adjustment of the screen 18atthe completion of the job, brings the sight-opening 19 into registry with a number on the tablet 32, indicating the elapsed time, and withjthe number 'on the ribbon 35 indicating the amount earned by the workman during the elapsed time, and the cost to the employer of the elapsed time.

Assuming that the starting time is four oclock, the finishing time half past six oclock, and the price paid to the workman is ten cents per hour, the machine at the completion of the above-described operation, will register these facts, and twenty-five cents as the value or cost of the time consumed.

Referring, for further explanation of the operation, to Figures 5 and 6, and to the price per hour number .10 on the ribbon 35, it will be seen that the transverse column 37, which is headed 2-1;, is composed of numbers, the first of which is a fraction of ten, while the succeeding numbers are multiples of the first, and are in alinement with the numbers on the tablet 32. The numbers of the column 37 are in alinement with the corresponding numbers on the tablet 32, and the arrangement is such that when the ribbon 35 is adjusted to show the hour price 10 at the sight-opening 39, and the time ribbon 13 and adjustable screen 18 are adjusted to show the finishing time number 6.30 at the sight-opening 19, the elapsed time number 2.30 and the cost number 25 are simultaneously shown at the last-mentioned sight-opening. Each transverse column 37 is offset from the corresponding price per hour number in the column 36, as indicated by the broken connecting lines 46 (Figure 6), to conform to the relative arrangement of the sight-openings 19 and 39.

This application is a continuation of my application entitled Time and cost calculator, filed August 21, 1920, Serial No. 405,149.

I claim:

1. A calculating machine comprising a longitudinally movable time-ribbon provided with a longitudinal column of starting time numbers and with a longitudinal columnof finishing time-numbers, said columns being parallel with each other; means for guiding said ribbon and supporting a fiat, active stretch thereof in a predetermined position, the ribbon being longitudinally movable to bring different parts thereof into said active stretch; a fixed starting time screen supported over the active stretch of the time-ribbon and having a sight opening adapted to expose one starting time member at a time, said screen being offset from the column of finishing time numbers to expose the latter; a fixed column of elapsed time-indicating numbers, extending parallel with the columns on the time-ribbon,

an adjustable screen; means for guiding said screen and supporting a flat, active stretch thereof over the finishing time numbers of the timeribbon and over the fixed column; the adjustable screen being longitudinally movable in a path parallel with the path of the time-ribbon; a price ribbon movable in a path at right angles with the paths of the time-ribbon and adjustable screen, and having a longitudinal column of price-indicating numbers of different denominations, and a plurality of transverse columns of aggregate numbers; means for guiding the price ribbon and supporting a flat, active stretch thereof in a predetermined position with relation to the active stretches of the timeribbon and the adjustable screen, the price ribbon being longitudinally movable to bring different parts thereof into the active stretches; and a fixed price-indicating screen located over the active stretch of the price ribbon, and having a sight opening through which the price-indicating numbers of the price ribbon are visible one at a time, the adjustable screen being provided with an elongated sight-opening, formed and arranged to simultaneously expose a number in the finishing time colunm on the time ribbon, a number in the fixed elapsed time column, and a number in a transverse column on the price ribbon.

2. A calculating machine comprising a frame, a plurality of pairs of spools journaled in bearings on the frame, a plurality of ribbons engaged with said spools, there being one ribbon for each pair of spools, means for manually moving a spool of each pair to wind up an end portion and unwind the 0 posite end portion of either ribbon, one 0 said ribbons constituting a screen ribbon having a sight-opening, another constituting a price ribbon which is movable in a path at right angles with the path of the screen ribbon, and another constituting a time ribbon which is movable in a path parallel with the path of the screen ribbon, and compensating mechanisms associated with the spools, and organized to compensate for the diametrical variations caused by the winding and unwinding of the ribbons, and to automatically take up the ribbons, each of said compensating mechanisms including a smaller gear attached to a spool shaft, a larger gear meshing with the smaller gear, a fixed stud supporting the larger gear,

and a spring connecting the stud with the larger gear.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

HARRY SALDINGER. 

